Automatically-disinfected mine closet



Sept. 30 1924.

A. scHwEslG AUTOMATICALLY DISINFECTED MINE CLOSET Filed Dec. '7, 1920 M W U m 5:" J 1 l 1 l w d 7 n0 9 w w 0 b M. 2 4 W o .Zwvenfor:

fl Merl Sf/5706195 y W Allorngv Patented Sept. 30, 1924.

UNITED STATES ALBERT SCHWESIG, OF BUEB, GERMANY.

AUTOMATICALLYDISINFEGTED MINE CLOSET.

Application filed December 7, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT ScHwnsIe, a citizen of Germany, and a resident of Buer, in WVestphalia, in the Republic of Prussia, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatically- Disinfected Mine Closets (for which I have filed applications in Germany, April 24,

1919, Patent No. 316,560; Germany, August 5, 1919, Patent No. 821,089; Austria, June 11, 1920, Patent No. 86,357; Poland, June 30, 1920; and England, July 2, 1920, Patent No. 145,785), of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to automatically disinfected mine closets, but more particular to the cover thereof, constructed as a disinfectant-reservoir. In this reservoircover a knee-shaped tube, open at both ends, is arranged in such a manner that the opened reservoir-cover forms a communication with said tube, which sprinkles after each use of the closet nothing but what of the disinfectant is contained in said tube automatically over the excrements while said reservoir-cover is being closed. Simultaneously herewith a part of this ejected disinfectant is directed by a branch-tube to a fibrous disinfecting-pad secured externally to said reservoir-cover above the closet-seat for disinfecting the latter.

In the present mine-closets the disinfecting-devices generally consist of covers either containing a strew-medium or a liquid applied to the excrements by means of wicks. Such devices may answer their purpose very well in connection with waterclosets but will prove a failure in combination with mine-closets which retain the excrements. For this reason the danger of contagion is always to a great extent present, as for instance by worm-diseases seriously infecting many mining-districts This ever present danger has induced numerous mine-regulations imposing the most rigorous directions for disinfecting the mineclosets.

A strew-device for instance can never be of any service in mine-closets on account of the damp heat prevalent in mines; whereas a drip-device provided with wicks cannot sufliciently disinfect accumulated excrements.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is an elevation of the improved mine-closet, showing the upper part of the Serial No. 429,039.

closet-tub and the closet reservoir-cover in section; I

Figure 2 is a similar view of the closet with the reservoir-cover in its terminal elevated position; and

Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Fig ure 1 and showing an important connection between the communication-tube and a fibrous pad for the disinfection of the closet seat; whereas Figure 4 is a top view of the closet-tub with its split top-rim.

I The closet-cover 1 is hinged by means of a bolt 2 to an annular closet-seat 8 and forms a reservoir for the liquid-disinfectant 4. Seat and cover center each other by means of their conical members 3 and 1 respectively. Within this cover 1, hereinafter designated as reservoir-cover, a kneeshaped communication-tube 5 is arranged in such a manner that its mouth 6 will project above the level of the disinfectant when the reservoir-cover 1 is closed, whereas the discharge-opening 7 of said tube leads to the interior of the closet-tub 8, Figures 1, 2 and 3. When the reservoir-cover is being opened the disinfectant enters the mouth 6 and fills the tube 5 up to its own level, Figure 2. *When said reservoir-cover is be ing closed, only the contents of said tube will bedischarged through the opening 7 into the closettub, because in closing the reservoir-cover the level of the disinfectant will simultaneously sink below the mouth 6 projecting upwards into the cover-elevation 9. Owing to this arrangement the disinfectant cannot enter the tub when the reservoir-cover is down in the closed position, since the mouth 6 then lies above the charging-opening 10, normally closed by means of a screw 11. To admit the necessary air into the interior of the reservoir-cover the screw 11 is provided with a longitudinal air-channel 12. .The discharge-opening 7 is covered by a hood 13 containing a plurality of orifices 1%, in order to distribute the disinfectant over a greater area. The reservoir-cover is further provided with a handle 15 for the convenience of the user of the closet, whereas the seat 3 is furnished with an external flange 16 resting on the top of the tub, and with a pendent flange 17 to keep said seat centered within said tub.

The outside of the tub is at the top thereof provided with a split rim or ring 18 leaving slots 19, arranged diametrically to each other, for the passage of the hook 20 of the hinge 21 and of the hook 522 of the handle 15. When the closet is to be transported from place to place said hooks are shifted sideways by rotating the seat 3 and the reservoir-cover and thus lock tub, seat and reservoincover temporarily by means of this bayonet-like connection. When the tub is to be emptied and cleansed the combined seat and seservoir-cover are simply lifted off said tub to obtain the desired free access to the interior of said tub.

On the external ledge 23 of the reservoircover 1 a facing or pad 24: of fibrous material, such as felt and the like, is arranged, which pad practically extends equidistant from the handle 15 to points requisite for obtaining the necessary length of the pad. This pad is brought into intimate contact with abranch-tube 25 project ing from the knee 26 of the tube 5 outwards.

The operation of the improved minecloset is as follows When the charged reservoir-cover is closed, as indicated in Figures 1 and 3, the flaring mouth 6 of the tube 5 lies above the level of the liquid disinfectant so that the latter is excluded from the tube 5. When, however, the reservoir-cover is bein opened the disinfectant enters the tube 0, fills it to its own level, Figure 2, and begins to flow out of the discharge opening 7 to be sprinkled over the excrements when the reservoir-cover is being returned to its initial position. In doing so a part of this disinfectant will also 'pass through the. branch-tube 25, enter the fibrous p'ad 2d and while being diffused therein moistens it and finally comes into contact with that part of the seat which previously supported the user of the closet. The seat will thus be thoroughly disinfected after each use and this disinfection of the particular part of the seat 3 will always have the same beneficial sanitary effect, since it cannot be frustrated by any improper application of the disinfectant, which no doubt would be very frequently the case if it had to-be. applied by unskilled labour.

The combined seat and reservoir-cover might very fitly be called an automatic disinfecting-device and on account of constituting a marketable unit can as such be appliedto existing mine-closets.

l claim l. A mine-closet of the character described, consisting of a closet-tub, a seat mounted on said tub and adapted to be locked thereto, a reservoir-cover hinged to said seat and likewise adapted to be locked to said tub, a fibrous pad exchange ably secured upon the external faceof said reservoir-cover and adapted to contact with said seat; a knee-shaped communicationtube arranged within said reservoir-cover to exclude the disinfectant from said tub when said reservoir-cover is closed, and until it is raised to its terminal open positon, but to admit it to said tub while said reservoircover is being swung back into its closed position; a branch-tube projecting from said connnunication-tube and adapted. to conduct a part of the disinfectant to said pad while said reservoir-cover is being closed, and means on said reservoir-cover for admitting air to the interior thereof, substantially as set forth.

2. A mine-closet of the character described, consisting of a closet-tub, external. locking-means at the top-edge of said tub, a seat mounted on said tub, locking means on said seat adapted to cooperate with said first-named locking-means, a rescrmir-cover hinged to said seat, a handle on said rescrvoir-cover adapted to cooperate like wise with said first-named locking-means, a fibrous pad exchange-ably mounted on an external ledge of said reservoir-cover and adapted to contact with said seat; a communication-tube within said reservoir-cover having a mouth lying above the level of the disinfectant when said reservoir-cover is in a closed position, a discharge-opening penetrating the bottom of said reservoircover and a branch-tube communicating with said fibrous pad; means for distributing the disinfectant on leaving said reservoir-cover, and means for admitting air to the interior of said rcservoir-cover, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a mine-closettub, of a seat adapted to be placed on the topdge of said tub, a reservoir-cover hinged to said seat, a fibrous disinfecting-pad mounted on said reservoir-cover opposite the hinging-point of said cover to said seat, a comnmnication-tube within said reservoircover comn'iunicating simultaneously with said tub and with said pad, means for spreading the disinfectant in said tub on leaving said communication-tube, and means for admitting air into the interior of said reservoir-cover, substantially as set forth.

a. A closet of the character described, consisting of a closet tub, a closet seat, a swinging member connected with said tub and provided with a pad adapted to engage said seat, said swinging member being also provided with a chamber adapted to hold a disinfecting liquid, and discharge means, carried by said member, for transferring liquid from said chamber both to said seatengaging pad on said member and to the interior of the tub.

Signed by me at Buer in Westphalia, Germany, this thirtieth day of July, 1920.

ALBERT SOHVVESIG.

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